World Obesity Day: GlobalData highlights need to tackle stigma and raise awareness on obesity’s growing impact
Every year 04 March is observed as World Obesity Day to challenge stigma and misconceptions surrounding obesity. The day aims to raise public awareness about the condition, which affects over 200 million people in the seven major markets (7MM*). Despite advancements in treatment, many face challenges such as limited access to care, making awareness and better support essential for addressing this growing health issue, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report “Obesity: Seven-Market Drug Forecast and Market Analysis- Update,” reveals that the unmet needs in this space remain, and the arrival of effective weight loss medications onto the market is just one step towards the solution.
Costanza Alciati, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Many new drugs are expected to reach the obesity market in the next decade: by 2031, GlobalData expects 23 candidates to be approved in the major markets. This will offer a wider range of options for patients, hoping that treatment access will have improved by then.”
GlobalData forecasts that the number of individuals living with obesity across the 7MM to increase at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 0.7% through 2031.
Alciati continues: “Some of the biggest issues for patients is access to specialists and affordable treatment. An increased awareness of what this condition entails and what other diseases it can lead to is crucial for people to understand that it is not just some extra weight”.
The key opinion leaders interviewed by GlobalData are hopeful for the future of obesity treatment, after seeing the improvements over the last five years.
Alciati concludes: “However, most improvements have come from the pharmaceutical sector, with a lot of investments going into this therapeutic area. Alas, many more changes are still needed in our society and in the food industry to ensure better metabolic health of citizens.”
